In a significant political development, Pritam Singh, the Leader of the Opposition in Singapore’s parliament, has been stripped of his title following a conviction for lying under oath. This move comes as a blow to the country’s largest opposition party, the Workers’ Party (WP), which Singh also serves as secretary-general.
The decision to remove Singh from his position as Leader of the Opposition was made on Wednesday during a parliamentary vote that was overwhelmingly dominated by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). This follows Singh’s conviction earlier this year for providing false testimony to a parliamentary committee investigating a separate case involving a WP member, Raeesah Khan.
Khan had claimed in parliament that she had witnessed police misconduct, but later admitted that the anecdote was untrue. She said that Singh and other party leaders had instructed her to “continue with the narrative” despite knowing about the lie. Khan has since resigned from the party and parliament, and was fined for lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege.
The criminal case against Singh stemmed from his testimony to the parliamentary committee during the investigation into Khan’s case. The court found him guilty and fined him several thousand dollars, ruling that his actions were “strongly indicative” that he had not wanted Khan to clarify her lie.
Singh, who has consistently maintained his innocence, argued that he had wanted to give Khan time to deal with what was a sensitive issue. However, his appeal against the conviction was ultimately rejected in December.
In the parliamentary debate on Wednesday, Indranee Rajah, the Leader of the House, stated that Singh’s lies “strike at the trust” Singaporeans place in parliament and accused him of “failing to take responsibility”. Singh defended himself, saying that his “conscience remains clear” and that he disagreed with the debate’s resolution that his behaviour was “dishonourable and unbecoming”.
After three hours of debate, the parliament backed a motion that agreed Singh should no longer be the Leader of the Opposition. All 11 present WP members voted against the motion.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong subsequently stated that it was “no longer tenable” for Singh to continue in the role, given his conviction and the parliamentary vote. He has invited the WP to nominate another of their MPs to take the title.
The WP has said it will deliberate on the move and respond “in due course”. The party holds 12 seats in Singapore’s 108-seat parliament.
This case has drawn significant attention, both within Singapore and internationally, as it represents one of the few instances of a sitting opposition lawmaker facing criminal charges. Critics have previously accused the Singaporean government of using the judiciary to target its political opponents, a charge that authorities have consistently denied.
